Great Summer Reads Blog Tour: "All the Way to Italy" with Flavia Brunetti

This week I'm participating in Lovin' The Book's Great Summer Reads Blog Tour. I chose three books to feature and here is the first. I chose them because they looked interesting to me or because I'm friends with the author and admire her work. I hope you like them too. Scroll to the bottom to find the link to enter our Giveaway. Lots of great prizes! Happy reading!

Until her dad died, Little considered herself a Californian. Now, thanks to half a letter, a symbol she can't quite remember, and writer's block, she finds herself back in Italy, the country of her birth. In a headlong rush to return to her beloved San Francisco, Little will travel throughout Italy, enlisting the help of the aunt who raised her, friends old and new, and the country itself, in her search for the answers she needs.

This is the powerful story of those in search of a balance between wanderlust and the necessity to come home, a reminder that although we may be fragments, we are never a lost cause.

From the AlzAuthors Blog: Martin Schreiber and "My Two Elaines - Learning, Coping and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver"

By Martin J. Schreiber

If there’s one thing worse than Alzheimer’s, it’s ignorance of the disease.

Count me among those who were ignorant. Over the past decade, I’ve learned more about Alzheimer’s than I ever thought was possible. To be sure, I’m no expert on the science of the brain. But I know what Alzheimer’s did to my heart – it broke it when it struck my wife Elaine some 14 years ago.

I’m striking back against Alzheimer’s by speaking out, to wipe out some of that ignorance of the disease. My book, My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver, came out in November 2016. Loved ones of those with dementia say it resonates with them. I’ve done more than 150 presentations in four states, with lots more coming up. I’m energized by these audiences.

Following a recent event in Wisconsin, a man who is a caregiver for his wife with dementia approached. He wanted to thank me for writing the book. 

“It turned my life around,” he told me, tears welling in his eyes – and soon in mine, too. “You saved me.”

It's Midsummer! Time for the Clean Indie Reads Christmas in July eBook Sale & Giveaway July 21-28

Summer is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, and a few Clean Indie Reads authors are keeping cool by thinking of Christmas. Reads, that is. There's something sweet and sentimental about Christmas stories, don't you think? And in the heat of summer, reading about Christmas, winter, snow, ice, and sleigh rides might cool you off. So we're happy to present the 2018 Clean Indie Reads Christmas in July eBook Sale.

Starting today we're offering 21 titles in a variety of genres - novels, novelettes, short stories, Christian, historical, mystery, YA, and sweet and paranormal romance - sale-priced from FREE to 2.99. As always, all titles are "flinch free," meaning they're free of graphic sexuality and violence, and objectionable language. Stock up to read on your summer vacation, or save them for the holiday season. You'll definitely cool down with one (or two, or more!) of these reads. Sale ends July 28.

Note: please check all prices before clicking the "BUY" button. Each individual author is responsible for ensuring the correct sale price for her book(s).

Christmas at Blue Hydrangeas

By Marianne Sciucco

Novella; contemporary and women's fiction

Download for free

(This book is not yet published.)

It’s Christmas Eve, and as Sara waits for her husband and son to arrive home to Blue Hydrangeas, their Cape Cod bed and breakfast, a blizzard threatens to close the bridges, leaving all Cape-bound travelers stranded. As she prepares for the holiday, unexpected visitors arrive, and Sara is determined the storm will not spoil Christmas, and that Santa will find his way to two fatherless children far from home. Prequel to Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story.

The River Girl's Christmas

By Angela Castillo

Christian Historical Fiction

Buy now for .99 ( reg. price 2.99)

Christmas on the Texas frontier can be exciting . . . maybe even dangerous.

The Little White Christmas Lie

By Kristy Tate

Holiday, sweet romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Neither Carson or Millie know that their lives are about to spin out of control thanks to a patch of black ice, a cow, and a little white Christmas lie.

Truth or Dare

By Julie Coulter Bellon

Contempoary Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Wounded war veteran Jonah Harrison comes home for Christmas and ends up stranded with Kami Jackson, the girl who once knew him best. Kami has a wounded heart of her own, though, and it might take a miracle---or at least two matchmaking dogs---for them to find the healing they both long for and the courage to reach for a chance at love.

Baby Blue Christmas

By Kristy Tate
Holiday, sweet romance
Buy now for .99, (reg. price 2.99)

As Christmas nears, Sophie and Luke’s love for Baby Jamison draws them together, causing them to rethink their plans for the future and redefine their ideas family.

The Christmas Switch

By Laura L. Walker

Western Historical Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price .99)

The rancher takes a wife - When two school boys decide to switch places on a local schoolmarm and rancher, they don't plan on a severe winter storm stranding them during Christmas. But love and a new family might just be the best Christmas gift ever!

The More the Merrier

By Li Wen Ho

Contemporary

Download for free through 7/25, then .99 (reg. price .99)

Two best friends must convince everyone they're in love, an act which may (or may not) be easy to pull off, thanks to the magic of some mistletoe.

The Redemption of Evalisa Trooge: A Christmas Carol Story

By Lauren M. Flauding

Inspirational Romance

Download for free through 7/25, then .99 (reg. price .99)

Evalisa Trooge is the 33-year-old embittered and stingy owner of Victorian Village, a Christmas-themed park which she inherited from her parents. But on Christmas Eve, when she's on the verge of selling the park, she endures a long night of visits, memories, romantic revelations and bizarre events, and discovers the courage to save the park, find love, and change her life.

Christmas Morning

By Roma Brooks

Women's Fiction

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Feel good romance of second chances that will get you in the holiday spirit.

Christmas with the Franks

By Leena Clover

Cozy Mystery

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Christmas dinner turns deadly when the millionaire host is shot dead.

Snowdrift

By Debra Erfert

Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

A woman crashes off a deserted highway during a Wyoming blizzard while driving to reach her dying mother. A handsome sheriff rescues her, leaving her trapped at his ranch for the week leading up to Christmas, along with his two young daughters, a protective mother-in-law, and a bitter memory of his dead wife. Can she protect her heart from falling in love with him?

Christmas at Dumpster Corral

By Irene Onorato

Holiday Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

When Noel Dupree’s estranged father undermines her recently-deceased mother’s will, he takes away her childhood home and the florist shop her mother left to her. An unforgettable Christmas experience ensues when fate steps in and leads her to an unlikely place, an uncertain destiny, and the love of a lifetime.

Red Boots

By Kate Willis

Contemporary, Short Story

Download for free

A pair of shiny red boots bring unexpected Christmas joy to a shopkeeper and a little girl.

Ino's Love 

By Marianne Sciucco
Contemporary, Short Story
Download for free

Elderly Ino prepares a delicious Italian Christmas Eve feast for her successful CEO son, but when he's too busy to spend the holiday with his mother she shares her dinner and gifts with her home health aid. A heartwarming story about giving and forgiveness.

First Christmas

By Heather Karn

Paranormal Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Life at the North Pole is never dull with Ice Dragon Shifters around, especially when Vixen meets her mate. He knows nothing about Christmas, so it's up to her to teach him all she knows.

Cookie Christmas

By Heather Karn

Paranormal Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

When Holly is asked to head up the new bakery in NYC, she's unsure about her ability to lead such a daunting project, at least not until she meets her handsome assistant. Can a group of bakery elves use their skills to spread Christmas Spirit, and a little romance, around the world in time for Christmas?

An All-Consuming Fire, book 5 The Monastery Murders

By Donna Fletcher Crow

Mystery

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

A Christmas wedding in a monastery—idyllic. If the bride can escape the murderer stalking the Yorkshire moors.

Glastonbury, the Novel of Christian England

By Donna Fletcher Crow

History

Free through 7/27 then .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Experience a Medieval Christmas in the midst of a 1500-year quest for the Holy Grail.

Where Love Restores, Where There is Love 4

By Donna Fletcher Crow

Historical Romance

Free through 7/27 then .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Can the delights of Christmas in an English stately home overcome the scars of the past? A true story of love and faith.

Misty Winter

By Linda Rawlins

Cozy Mystery

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

The police search for Megan Stanford when the local veterinarian is shot right before Christmas.

Christmas Party: A Short Story (Avery Barks Cozy Dog Mysteries)

By Mary Hiker

Mystery

Download for free

Avery Barks is excited about the search and rescue team's annual Christmas party. The holiday event is packed full of friends and fun for both the SAR dogs and their humans. Everyone is having a ball... That is, until a stranger crashes the party in the most surprising way.

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From the AlzAuthors Blog: Karen Severson, MD, author of "Look, I Shrunk Grandma"

By Karen Severson, MD

This book has been in my head for years. It started with the constant frustration of being caught in the middle of disagreements between nursing homes and families. Sent as a representative of the nursing home to address aggressive behaviors, nurses would relate to me how horrible and dangerous the person with dementia was acting. People were getting injured and care was not able to be performed. I would speak to the families and they were angry with the homes. “They are trained to handle these problems. Why do you need medications?” The families felt the homes were medicating for staff convenience.

From the AlzAuthors Blog: Iris Waichler

By Iris Waichler

I began writing my book, Role Reversal: How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents, as a tribute to my father, Melvin Sneider. I knew he was an extraordinary and giving person who had touched many lives. When I began writing he was 95 and in good health after recovering from a cerebral hemorrhage at age 90.

Suddenly things changed. He was hospitalized for pneumonia. As it happens with many seniors, he suffered a cascade of medical problems. They included irregular heartbeat, inability to eat food except if it was pureed, memory issues and dementia, incontinence, and decreased mobility. He was unable to get dressed or bathe without help. His decline continued until his death at age 97.

From the AlzAuthors Blog: Meet Jaclyn Guenette, Author of "I Smile for Grandpa," Children's Fiction

by  Jaclyn Guenette

“How do I explain dementia to children?” has been a question asked to me over and over throughout the years. Let’s be honest, dementia is difficult to understand. There are several disease types so it’s complex and often presents differently for different people. I have been privileged to work on a secured dementia unit with families and individuals living with dementia. My role as a Registered Social Worker allows me the unique opportunity to connect with families and address their specific concerns, questions, and needs. When asked about explaining dementia to children, I would pause. I knew the importance of creating a safe and open dialogue with children. I knew parents could greatly benefit from tools to help them cultivate understanding and knowledge. Throughout my search for children's books and parent resources, I found a wealth of excellent stories and information. I also realized that throughout this journey, my own story developed in my heart.

New Release Spotlight: "Heartsong," by Annie Douglass Lima

Two alien worlds.

One teen emissary.

No reality she can trust.

Thirteen-year-old Liz Smith has been ripped away from one foster family after another for years, so the idea of a permanent home is tantalizing. Who cares if that home is a colony sixty-five thousand light-years from Earth? The friends in her trusty e-reader will keep her company just fine on her interstellar relocation.

But when the adventure of a lifetime turns into the disaster of the cosmos, Liz can only retreat so far into the books that have always sheltered her from loneliness and loss. Trapped in half-truths and secrets that leave her questioning reality, can one orphaned bookworm find a way to stop two races from destroying each other … and somehow write a happy ending to her own story?

If you like books about space travel, aliens, or cross-cultural transitions, you’ll love this poignant science fiction adventure. Click here to get your copy of Heartsong now and start the journey today!